The effects of environmental enrichment on behavior, performance, and slaughter and carcass traits in guinea fowl

In this thesis, it was aimed to determine the effects of environmental enrichment practices on growth performance, slaughter traits, meat quality traits and some behavioural traits of guinea fowls under confined rearing conditions. The study was carried out in Yozgat Bozok University BOZOK TUAM Yerköy Animal Husbandry Facility and the animal material consisted of 200 day-old guinea fowls. In this study, two different treatment groups with and without environmental enrichment were established. In both treatment groups, the guinea fowls were produced in the floor rearing system with litter. Each treatment group consisted of 5 replicates. In the environmental enrichment group, roosting boards, stone materials on the ground and foliage feeder objects were included. Guinea fowls were randomly allocated to the treatment groups from emergence and reared in the same environment until 13 weeks of age at slaughter. Lower live weight at slaughter age was determined in the environmental enrichment treatment (Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better in the control group at 10 and 12 weeks. Slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight were lower in the environmental enrichment group. Higher level of mating, running, feeding, drinking, swelling, wing flapping and feather cleaning behaviours were determined in the environmental enrichment group. Feather pecking behaviour and lying down behaviour were found to be higher in the guinea fowl without environmental enrichment (control group). It was observed that environmental enrichment practices were especially effective on behaviours in guinea fowls.